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4 July 2014

The Craft Show Survival Guide

What do you get when you mix a whole lot of gorgeous fabrics, the latest craft gismos and gadgets and lots of women with money in their pockets all under one roof ? The big top of craft, AKA the craft show of course! A feast for the eyes and a mind boggling place for inspiration, enjoyment and learning new skills. Not for the feint hearted, but with a little bag of tricks up your sleeve, you too can navigate the miles of aisles and have an enjoyable, pain free and memorable day. I have recently spent a blissful day at the Craft and Quilt Fair in Melbourne run by Expertise Events. Here are my tips and enjoy!

1. Use a Site Map.
Orientate yourself at the start to where
the toilets and food stalls are. Mark your favorite stalls on the map
so you don't miss them.

2. Look or Learn?
Do you want to look all day or be hands -on or both? If you have a penchant for learning some new skills and want to shop till you drop as well, maybe a two day pass is the go. I have often attended workshops and tried to shop in one day only to run out of time to race back to the stand where I wanted to make a special purchase, at the end of the day.

3. Buy Now not Later.
Buy things as you see them or ask the exhibitor if you can pick them up at the end of the day. I have learnt this the hard way and have returned to a stall only to find they are all sold out of a special kit or fabric. Make use of locker facilities so you can store and then explore some more.

3. My Husbands Tip
Leave your credit card at home ??? and take a limited amount of cash. (P.S. I have never done this-Sorry Honey). If you are watching your pennies, take a list of must have supplies you need to buy with a little to spend on special items to treat yourself.

4. Take Public Transport.
It is no fun being exhausted from getting up at 5am and having to travel home afterwards. Be safe, be sensible. Plan a sleep-over with a friend or family member.

5. Creature Comforts.
Take a water bottle to keep hydrated and wear comfy shoes, style is not an issue on a big shopping day! Have a bag that you can comfortably hang crosswise over your body to keep your hands free or a back pack. Some ladies are well equipped with wheelie trolleys-think of how much you can fit in one of those! Wear layers so you can de-robe if excitement and numerous other bodies are heating you up.

7. Ask before you Click!
As a designer I know that many, many hours of time and effort goes into producing wonderful works, so please be courteous and ask before you take a pic. They will so appreciate it.

8. Make notes.
Take a little notebook in your bag to jot down contact details or ideas for future projects. Draw, doodle, list in your little black book.

9. Eat and Drink, Be Merry!
Dehydration causes confusion, dizziness and headaches. You want stamina under the big top of craft so take regular snack breaks to rest your feet and to load up on carbs!

10. Team Work
If you go in a group, decide if you want to look together or split up and meet at a particular time for lunch and show and tell! Some members of the group may want ot attend a workshop on behalf of others and share their information and skills afterwards. This saves time and can ensure that everyone's interests are catered for.

11. Give Feedback.
Designers are there to not only showcase their work but to find out what you like about their designs, or what you don't. They usually like to meet you, have a chat and hear your thoughts.

Amazing entrants in the secondary school Texstyle design awards sponsored by Husqvarna

2 comments:

I do love tea as well. Although admittedly I seem to develop a hunkering for it more so in the winter months than in the summer. I am an afternoon tea kind of gal like you but my heart will also be with earl grey with a dash of lemon and honey!